Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-12-01
THEY SHOT TO KILL.
citizen Guards at Thibodeaux, La.
Fired Upon by Negroes, Two
Men Being Wounded.
a Yolley at Once Discharged at the
Assailants, from Twelve to
Fifty Being Killed.
dany Negroes Killed.

| The strike In the sugar. district of
Louisiana has again become tragic. and
resulted in the loss Of dozen lives. For
a week past, ever since the withdrawal of
the military, the situation has been grow
ing more critical In Lafoerche parish
large number of the strikers still remain
&c ont. Most of them crowded IN the
parish seat OF Justice, Thibodeaux. Those
sn the rural districts prowled around at
night, hrlng at the hands at work in the
suggarhouses, or ar horsemen on the pub
ilc highway. killing one, and at different
times wounding seven.
The condition of affairs finally became
SO intolerable that on Sunday morning
| three hundred white men rode into Thi-
booeaux and held a mass meeting, over
which the lieutenant governor of the
state presided, denounced the violence
that had occurred, and appointed q COM
mlttee on peace and order, with TAYLOR
Beattie, late republican candidate for
governor. as chairman, and organized a
force to patrol and guard the town and
the neIghborhood at night. Negotiations
were opened directly with the negro
strikers, and an advance of wages grant
ed, and the affair
WAS REGARDED AS SETTLED
Ga Tuesday night. however, a negro,
William Watson, was killed, and another,
Morris Page, wounded by white man.
The affair, which was uniustifabIe, excited
the more violent of the strikers, and,
despite the fact that it was repudiated
and denounced by the whites, resulted in
an attack about daylight this morning on
the city patrol picket, resulting in the
wounding of Louis Madison and Henry
Gorham, both whites, Gorham being shot
through the head and Molaison in the
knee. The men who we're seated around
bonfire were shot by persons conceal
ed IN the cane. The other members of
the city guards who came to their assist
ance were also fired on from ambush,
but none were wounded.
This firing, which was quite brisk,
aroused the white citizens of Thibodeaux.
and, as soon as the news was generally
known that shots had been exchanged
with the strikers, the white citizens, some
$50 in number, who had participated in
the former meeting and pledged them
selves, and, headed by the KRobloch
guards, local organization, marched to
a large brick building in the rear of town,
the headquarters of the strikers, which
were crowded with negroes. The latter
were ordered to dispense instantly and,
refusing, skirmish ensued in which
THE NEGROES WERE BADLY woRsTED.
They finally fled in all directions, leaving
six men dead on the field.
The shooting was general throuphou6
the town wherever the strikers .eonrra--
gated. The negroes fled to the Awoods,
hence most of those who remained in the
town deemed it advisable to shut them
selves up in their houses. After the
skirmish was over the citizens met and
passed resolutions warming all agitators
and strikers, irrespective of color, to
leave ThibOdeaux at once. This notice
was served on many of them at their
houses, and number of them, both
white and colored, took the evening train
for New Orleans, some carrying their
families with them.
They seem to be very much frightened,
but admit that the first shots came from
the negroes. It is difficult to estimate
the number of killed and wounded, of
which it is variously estimated at from
twelve to fifty. So fer the bodies Of
twelve persons have been found-aIl of
them negroes. The white citizens are
still under arms and the streets are being
patrolled, but there seems to be no prob
ability of any further disturbance. The
leaders of the strike have come to New
Orleans and the others have scattered from
Ihibodeaux.
During the excitement which prevailed
and while the shooting was going on in
Thibodeaux, the two Cox brothers, color
ed, who were arrested Tuesday, as agita-
tors and for incendiary speeches, were
taken from the jail by the whites and
shot to death. The Cox brothers were
leaders in the strike and prominent IN the
labor organizations.